Renewable energy: Top developers gaining, but seeing high churn also

One complaint about the current rise of the renewable energy sector in India is how it has sidelined the small and medium enterprises. As project capacities became bigger and auctions led to stiff competition, larger firms with access to cheaper capital and finance got the upper hand.

Ten developers commissioned more than half of the capacities in the year to September 2018, according to calculations by consulting firm Bridge to India. The share of the top 10 developers varies among wind and solar power, though both saw their share rise in the current auction-based capacity addition regime (see Chart 1).

Nevertheless, an analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Energy Agency, and Council on Energy, Environment and Water shows there is high churn among the top developers. Read more